Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Series:　The Hunger Games Trilogy Book 3
Publish Date: August 24th, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 390

Summary (from Goodreads)

My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost. 


Read  my review of the first two books in this trilogy here and here. 

  Review may contain spoilers.

Review: 

          What a spectacular end to The Hunger Games trilogy. It makes me sad to know that the series is over and Katniss' revolution against the Capitol is over too. Although I cannot reveal all the craziness that concluded this phenomenal journey (no matter how much I want to), I can say that it ended with much tragedy and a new beginning for Panem. I am still coping with the ending after 3 days of reading it.

            Honestly I loved it and disliked it at the same time. It was a great way to end the series because it was a somewhat happy ending that i think everyone could agree with. Unfortunately, to get to that happy ending many tear jerking scenes had to occur. Fighting in a rebellion in no way guarantees everyone’s survival yes, I knew that, but that small information doesn’t make the deaths of some of my favorite characters hurt any less. When they faced their inevitable ends I immediately closed the book and had to take a break for fifteen minutes so that I could cope with what just happened. Thinking about it now still makes me upset. Although their deaths made this book all the more addicting and I needed to know whether or not Katniss would be able to avenge their deaths.

           The build up to the invasion of the Capitol was long but necessary. Katniss had to recover and prepare to get back into battle after suffering severe injuries from the Quarter Quell. It definitely wasn’t the most interesting beginning because everyone was just underground for a long period of time but we get to know a lot about how District 13 survived and their ways of life. It was interesting and almost humorous the amount of times Katniss was in the hospital. She seemed to be there more times than she has been anywhere else. I think one half of the book takes place inside the hospital.

            Finally the rebellion begins halfway through the book. It started off slow paced and began building up momentum into a thrilling climax. However, what seemed to be a great resolution to the rebellion was replaced with something that fell a little flat. What I anticipated most in this story was interrupted by Katniss waking up in the hospital (surprise surprise). We are told what happened to the Capitol through a brief story by one of District 13's important members. Nothing exciting and amazing there.

             I enjoyed the love triangle in this book more than others because it was subtle and did not compete with the main plot. Katniss was not conflicted with the knowledge that Gale and Peeta are in love with her because they did not push her to make a decision. I really loved that the author wrote Katniss as such a strong, independent character. The male leads in this story knew very well Katniss doesn’t rely on a man to help her. They knew very well they needed Katniss more than she needed them. In the end I’m glad that Katniss knew who she truly loved and I was happy with her decision. The author wrote of their romance briefly yet it effectively captured me. I smiled with happiness knowing that all will be okay with Katniss.  She found the little happiness she needed to give her reason to move on from all the tragedy she’s faced during the rebellion. She slowly picks herself up again after thinking she could never be happy. I’m glad the story concluded with a happy ending for  Katniss.
Overall this book has crushed me but I'm satisfied. It was a great conclusion to The Hunger Games trilogy. It's because of Suzanne Collin's amazing stories that I fell in love with the dystopian genre. I must now say goodbye to Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, but her memory will live on for a long time.

Rating: 4/5  

Stacking the Shelves (2)

It was Boxing Day in Canada today so I definitely had to splurge on my shopping trip. Although I didn't go all out on book buying, I did pick up a couple of titles from the bookstore. What really made my night was my friend gave me a whole box of books because she had no more use for them. I happily accepted them like any book lover would. I love giving books a new home!

Titles BOUGHT

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Titles Given to Me:

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard

Wicked (Pretty Little Liars #5) by Sara Shepard

The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries #1) by L.J Smith

 The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #2) by L.J Smith

 The Fury and Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries #3-4) by L.J Smith

The above titles were novels I were particularly excited to receive but there are tons more titles to include in this Stacking My Bookshelf

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro

Open Secrets by Alice Munro

Family Affairs (Secrets of My Hollywood Life #3) by Jen Calonita

Poseur (Poseur #1) by Rachel Maude

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones

Rebel by Willo Davis Roberts

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

The Last Straw (Diary of A Wimpy Kid #3) by Jeff Kinney

The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Report Card by Andrew Clements

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban 

The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen

Tunnels (Tunnels #1) by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

The Power of Three (Charmed #1) by Eliza Willard

Kiss of Darkness (Charmed #2) by Brandon Alexander

The Crimson Spell (Charmed #3) by F. Goldsborough

Whispers From the Past (Charmed #4) by Rosalind Noonan

Phew. That was quite a lot to share with you guys but I'm definitely very thankful that I have a friend who doesn't want her books anymore :)

I would love to know what you got during this time in the comments!

The Locket by Stacey Jay Review

  The Locket by Stacey Jay

 Publish date: February 3, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 288

Summary: (from Goodreads)

On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him - with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less - he dumps her, leaving her devastated.

And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present.

Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything - and everyone - she loves?

Review: 

Before I read The Locket Ｉ was expecting a quick contemporary that I would enjoy. However this book was dark with shocking turn of events that I was completely not expecting. I loved the events in this book that I didn't see coming because it prevented it from being typical. Dangerous and frightening twists left me going WTF?! and I could not stop myself from turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next.

The book starts off a little on the meh side. It wasn't entirely engaging but nonetheless was interesting enough that I wanted to find out more. It's where you reach the climax where things start to get weird. Katie's new present after using the locket isn't entirely the same. She's gone back in time but the events of her new "present" has changed. Door signs aren't the same color as before... The drink her friend orders isn't the same... She's sick when she was fine before... These little details make Katie frightened and she starts to worry that maybe using the locket wouldn't be a good idea after all. Whiles these little changes are happening in the book I kept predicting what they might mean and if they would contribute to the plot in any way.

Katie wasn't my favorite character. She lacked personality and confidence because she's so insecure about herself dating the hottest boy in school. About three quarters of the book was about her trying to please her boyfriend and worrying whether or not Isaac would be happy about this or mad about that. Along with the events that unraveled in the book, Katie started to change. I was happy that Katie gradually matured and started becoming the heroine she never realized she could be. 

I loved the romance that was included to prevent this book from being too dark. There were light and happy moments that complemented this book beautifully. Although major events that occurred were in the extremes, it really makes you realize that anything could happen in life.  I'm glad Katie found herself at the end of the book, and she finally realized who it was that could make her happy and truly be herself.

Rating: 3/5

Stacking the Shelves (1)

This is my first time participating in Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's been an exciting time for my book shelf! Within these 2 weeks I've gotten plenty of great books that I'm so excited to read and share with you all!

Purchased

All of these books were purchased from Book Outlet

The Elite (The Elite #1) Jennifer Banash

Capital Girls (Capital Girls #1) by Ella Monroe

Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake

Goddess (Starcrossed #3) by Josephine Angelini

Given

Acquired this book from BookMooch

Wildefire (Wildefire #1) by Karsten Knight

Won from Contest

 

Won this book from Reading Lark's Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

(I'm so excited to have even won a giveaway!!!)

The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

That's all from me this time. I'm so excited to have my own copies of these in my book shelf! Just staring at them makes me all happy. Tell me what books you got this week. I'd love to know!

Meridian by Amber Kizer Review

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Series: Fenestra Book 1
Publish Date: August 11th, 2009
Published by: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Pages: 305

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate's tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home--and Meridian's body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. It's there that she learns that she is a Fenestra--the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Review: 

Meridian was really similar to a favorite of mine, Angel Burn by L.A Weatherly. The plot, the events in the book. Both had the male protector and counterpart turned lover complimenting the female proganist. They need to run and go into hiding to protect themselves from the danger of the townspeople hunting them. In both stories, the characters are threatened by an evil force that camouflage themselves as preachers of God and brainwash the town into believing the word of God is law. And of course, both female characters are half angels. Even though I have already experienced similar events in a different story, I still really enjoyed Meridian. 
  
My favorite thing about this book were the characters. I liked everyone of them (excluding the antagonists of course). Usually when I'm reading I found myself having an opinion about a certain character and finding faults in them I wish weren't there, but in this novel I thoroughly enjoyed every main character and the supporting characters as well. This book also gave me hope and touched me in a way that most books couldn't. I learned important lessons in this book that I will cherish and build myself on. It was definitely something I didn't expect in a fantasy novel. I love the addition of humor that lightened the mood after the deaths that were happening around Meridian.

Meridian started off as a shy and scared girl confused with the curse that plagued her. Nobody would approach her and they constantly thought of her as a freak because everywhere she went something would die. When she is sent to her great-aunt's house far away she finally starts to figure out her abilities and her purpose in this world. Meridian begins to grow into a brave young lady that cares for others because of her selflessness. She knows her job is to take the souls of the dying into a better place, yet every time she knows the inevitable is about to happen she wishes she can stop the death or at least prolong it. Having to complete this task constantly must weigh down on Meridian. Good thing she has a her protector, Tens. At first he is brisk and barely talks to Meridian, but eventually living together under the same roof strengthens their bond and connection and they fall in love. Something that I was really happy to see. In this book, the romance was different. Tens and Meridian never really told each other how they felt yet they knew they were in love with each other. They depend on each other yet they are independent and rely on each other as partners and friends. When Meridian is overcome with sadness one night, it is then that Tens finally confesses his love for her. It is then that my heart explodes and I cannot stop smiling. 

The beginning was a little slow for me because she's just learning what a Fenestra is and what they do. Nothing exciting occurred in the beginning which is normal because we are just getting acquainted with the world of Meridian and these half human half angel beings that bless the world with their presence. By the time it reached the climax and I flipped to the very last page I was sighing with contentment and satisfaction. It was a nice ending to transition the reader to the second book, which I'm anticipating highly! I can't wait to read more of what happens to Meridian and Tens in the next book of the series. Meridian is probably a favorite of mine for the year of 2014.

Rating: 4.5/5  

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale Review

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Published: February 2, 2012
Published by: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 485

Summary (From Goodreads):

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all...

Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all..

Review: 

A stunning and tear-jerking novel by Katie Dale. This book was brilliant and memorable all the way.

Rosie just graduated high school.Unlike other teenagers her age who are preparing for college, she is trying to get over her mother's death. One she saw coming because of her rare Huntington's disease, but inevitably left Rosie miserable and on a mission. Instead of worrying whether or not she has contracted the disease, she goes out to America to find her biological father along with her ex-boyfriend. She hopes to seek out the truth about her life and find comfort in strange and new places. All the information that she gathers throughout her journey will hit readers like a ton of bricks but leave them happy as all sad stories end with a happy ending.
Rosie is lost and confused by the misery that clouds her judgment. She is brave yet impulsive, a trait that leads to unhappiness and conflict with those around Rosie. She turns other peoples world's upside down when she is trying to make her life right again, something that she does unintentionally.

I really enjoyed the bits of humor and romance amongst all the sadness as it was much needed. It reminded me that even though Rosie and her family's life may seem like hell right now, it doesn't mean that happiness is lost. Rosie's boyfriend Andy is the perfect companion with Rosie because he keeps her in check and supports her decisions even though he may not always be happy with her. He tries to leave multiple times because of Rosie's disregard for him and broken promises, but he always comes back knowing Rosie is at her most vulnerable and needs his shoulder to cry occasionally. A man that will support you at your hardest times is a man you keep, I say!

It was one big roller coaster ride in this book, although a ride I definitely enjoyed. If you're not sure whether or not you might like this book, at least pick it up for the cover. Because c'mon. It's beautiful.

Rating: 4/5    

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood Review

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles Book 1
Published: February 7th, 2012 
Published by: Putnam Juvenile

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.  

 Review:

      I am always searching for books related to witches, because they're one of my favorite things to read about. Born Wicked was different than other books of witches that I've read because its set in the late 1800's, an era that I am not familiar with and rarely read books set in that time. With Born Wicked, I liked that it wasn't set in present day so that we not only get to know about Cate and her sisters powerful abilities but also the practices and traditions of the olden days. When girls were supposed to look pretty for their husbands and being smart was frowned upon.

      In Cate's home town of Chathum, the Brotherhood rules. Females of every age must be very careful of what they say or do for fear that the Brotherhood believes you are a witch and takes you away to an asylum or a prison ship. Thus, Cate is overprotective of her sisters and must protect them at all cost because that is what her mother told her to do. She must learn how to deal with the prophecy her and her sisters are most likely a part of, all the while juggling social gatherings and not fall for Finn Belastra.

     Cate's character starts off as timid and antisocial but very caring. The beginning of the book was a bit slow, as we get to know the characters and what happened when the Cahill sisters' mother died. Nothing too exciting happened. Later on, as Cate learns more about her role in the prophecy, she realizes she has a very difficult choice to make; get married or join the Sisterhood. This decision is difficult because all she thinks about is what's best for her sisters. As the story builds up, Cate's character changes as well. She becomes a feisty and mature young lady who owns up to her role of lady of the house and not afraid to speak her mind. This change in character was nice to see.

      There were plenty of plot twists and keep you on the edge events that occurred during three quarters of the book. It got good and addicting. Throughout this book you will put yourself in Cate's shoes and ask yourself; what would you do if you were Cate? I need to pick up the second book and find out what happens to Cate and her sisters!

Rating: 4/5  

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby Review

 Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Published: February 28th, 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Pages: 272

Summary (from Goodreads)

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment. 

Review:

Shooting Stars was a light comedic take on the world of paparazzi. The book starts off with 16 year old paparazzo Josephine, or Zo Jo in the beginning of the book when she is hunting down teen heartthrob Ned Hartnett in a club. She succeeds in entering and getting the shots she wants, where we are then introduced to the plot of the book. An accident causing Ned to enter a retreat where he can get away from the spotlight and find time for himself. Jo takes on the job of going undercover and entering the retreat as a patient herself, but what she's really doing there is taking shots of Ned Hartnett. Jo knows its going to be a dirty job that will eat at her conscience but she needs the money if she ever wants to enroll in photography school. 

Jo's time at the retreat is mostly spent around group sessions, bonding with the other kids, and attending outside activities that she usually finds lame. The problem? She's not doing her job. The editor that hired her, Melissa, constantly checks in on her wondering why she hasn't sent any shots yet which Jo brushes aside, promising that she'll send them in soon. Before she knows it, Jo is crushing hard on Ned and decides to put the cameras down.

It was nice seeing Jo becoming a better person throughout this book. She's smart and witty and definitely not your sweetheart. When she first enters the camp she promises herself that taking the shots will be easy and once she gets enough she can in and get out. No harm done and no guilt. But it wasn't the case and Jo warms up to her target, Ned and they get close enough to talk about their problems to each other. 

There were twists I didn't see coming in the story, but they played out to be a helpful factor helping Jo realize she can needs to stop and get away from the dirty business.What I didn't like was the abrupt solution to the problem. It didn't end as well as I had hoped but nevertheless it was a happy ending that led to Jo cleaning her conscience and knowing she did the right thing. 

Shooting Stars was a quick light read but definitely not memorable. Save this for a rainy day.

Rating: 2.5/5 

GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow Review

GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow

Series: Bradford (#1)
Publish date: January 27th, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Summary (from Goodreads)
Paige, Spencer, and Madison have it all: the looks, the connections, the money, the boys. As the daughters of three of the most prestigious families on Philadelphia's Main Line (read: old money, and lots of it) and the ruling juniors at Bradford Prep, nothing can stand in their way....except, perhaps, their own dark secrets. When an old frenemy from Paige's hidden past shows up at Bradford and plays nice--too nice--Paige is desperate to smother the threat. How far will she go to silence the truth?
 

Review: 

For fans of Gossip Girl or any other of the sort, you will enjoy this book. GoldenGirl revolves around the lives of very privileged teenagers who have it all. They skip class for mud scrubs at the spa and attend opening nights to the hottest night clubs. 

I was really interested in this book when I first bought it because the entire novel is written in the format of blog posts. Told from Spencer Kelly's (a relative to Grace Kelly herself) blog, we watch the drama unfold in their high society social life. Regan Stanford, the new girl straight out of rehab, starts attending Bradford Prep. She wins over Spencer and her best friend Madison, however it is her other BFF, Paige, that insults Regan every moment and sets out to make her time at Bradford horrible and drive her back to where she first came from. Unbeknownst to Spencer and Madison, Paige and Regan had a past before that led to one hating the other. On top of that, Spencer herself is dealing with guy trouble; Jeremy her ex is back at Bradford and is stuck between him and her current boyfriend; Tyler. Some catfights are about to go down.

A major problem I had with this book is the way the characters talked. They were fairly intelligent people yet the author makes them sound stupid and snobby with vocabulary inspired by Paris Hilton. Even the boys.. Perhaps it was to accentuate that they were rich and snobby however it would've been nicer to have certain characters sound mature and down to earth. For example; Jeremy. Another problem I had was that the ending was rather anti-climatic. It was obvious what was going to happen, a big scheme that as going to backfire. However, the event occurred so quickly that it didn't end this book with a bang. When I flipped to the last page of the book I just went; well ok that's finished. 
For a book with supposedly so much drama crammed into a book it just wasn't exciting when it ended. 

Although I did enjoy this book despite the major flaws. Its one of those books that you can finish in a few hours no problem and for a short book it was eventful enough to keep me entertained the whole time. Never mind the fact that I also really enjoy books filled with drama and rich teens that have it all. Did I mention that the story is told entirely with blog posts? Its a clever and unique way to write a book so that readers have a change when reading compared to the usual way a book is written.

I would consider reading the second book of the series, which is told in Madison's blog, however it also not necessary.

Rating: 2.5/5

The Liar Society by Lisa&Laura Roecker Review

The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Series: The Liar Society (#1)
Release date: March 1st, 2011
Published by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary (from Goodreads)
Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

                    Kate, 

                   I'm here,

                             sort of. 

                             Find Cameron.

                              He knows.

                             I shouldn't be writing.

                               Don't tell. 

                              They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

Review: 

The Liar Society is a mystery book around a socially recluse girl looking to solve the death of her best friend, Grace. The main character, Kate, has become antisocial and detached herself from everyone around her. Instead, she prefers to relive the memories she made with Grace, leading to her parents sending her to therapy. She is told to let Grace go and start living her life happily. As she tries to listen to her therapists advice, she gets an email from Grace. Or at least so she thinks. The emails leave clues disguised as riddles which leads Kate on a mission to find out the truth about Grace's death. The answers aren't easy, and she later finds help from her redhead neighobr, Seth who has an obvious crush on Kate, and the cute boy who makes her feel something again, Liam.
I enjoyed this book so much I stayed up until 6am to finish the whole thing in one night. I highly recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars or anything similar. There was enough mystery to be suspenseful and engaging yet there was plenty of humor to balance out the overall depressing plot and chilling events. The book is written with several chapters of flashbacks so that readers can understand what happened during the past leading up to Grace's tragic death.

It was really nice seeing Kate's character progressing throughout the book. In the beginning she was the reserved girl who didn't want to socialize with others. People around her looked at with pity which Kate hated even more. As events happen and Kate is fueled by the possibility of seeing Grace again, she becomes this strong and daring girl willing to do anything to understand Grace's death. You also see her opening up to others and actually feeling happy again. Her new friends are characters that I really enjoyed reading about too. Seth, her neighbor is the typical nerd who is oblivious to the bullying directed towards him. That's what I admire about him, he doesn't let anything hurtful affect him and lives life as himself. Not to mention he's dorky and a clueless at times which makes him oh so hilarious and the perfect sidekick to Kate. Together with Liam, the boy who you can't help rooting for to get together with Kate, they become her two knights in shining armor.

As clues were given and pieces of the puzzle were put together, through every step of the way I enjoyed solving the mystery along with Kate. The plot turned into an unexpected twist which I really enjoyed and it suddenly became multiple problems that needed to be solved; how Grace, who was in on her death and why? The ending was something different too. Kate thinks she's solved Grace's death but then she is slammed right back to step 1. Nevertheless, in Kate's own thoughts, she knew that she had changed into a different and mature Kate, and the new Kate deserved a new start.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, humor, and surprising events. I can't wait to read the second book to this trilogy.

Rating: 4/5